best car for towing cattle trailor + cattle

NewBeefFarmer

ok, im just thinking. we need a second vehicle around the house.

we have a car at the moment, but will need a second motor.

i would love a jeep, which would be used for marts ect. . . farming. . on the land etc. . but a jeep is dear. . . plus fuel consumption etc. .

so i was thinking, (long winter nights sitting in):rolleyes:

X amount of bullocks 400kg in Y size trailor, pulled by Z type car BHP/Ltr

what is Z.. . ? what BHP and Ltr. .. obviously diesel.
what would Y be then?
and how many X could i carry?

the mart is only 15 mins drive from here. thats all the transportation i would be doing. . .

now be honest lads, i dont want to Max this to the hilt. . i want to do it comfortably without overkill. .. i mean. id do 2-3 runs to the mart if i had to. . .

just a thought. . . i could use the car then for work too. . .

oh, just to add. . .max id spend is 4k-5k on this car. but cheaper the better. .

rs8

caddy or berlingo??

sh1tstirrer

If the mart is that near why don't you invest in a cattle trailer for the tractor? If you need a second car you could buy a smaller car.

NewBeefFarmer

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

If the mart is that near why don't you invest in a cattle trailer for the tractor? If you need a second car you could buy a smaller car.

this is what i currently have. lol

was just looking for a quicker way. .

it takes me 30 mins from shed to mart. . and same down. .

its a single axel trailor. . about 10ft long.. .. looks just like this one. . . http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/trailers/2650238


the worry i have is the single axel. . .. . not to mention the 1970s tractor im pulling it with, , , ford. . . . i would sell the trailor if i got a car or jeep trailor. . i have no other use for it and its a big piece of machery. . taking up space in shed. .

has anyone else ever been in this situation. .? put it this way. . . i have to go down now in the next few weeks and start getting the lights working again for jan/feb. . not that ill be doing dark journeys. . but u knwo. . u need the lights.

jack77

In a simlar situation have the car but wondering what size trailer would i be able to comfortably pull, driving a 04 audi 1.9 tdi 136bhp should be able to pull a 10x5 cattle trailer handy enough but fully loaded would i be putting it under too much pressure? sorry for trying to steal the thread NewBeefFarmer!

NewBeefFarmer

jack77 wrote: »

In a simlar situation have the car but wondering what size trailer would i be able to comfortably pull, driving a 04 audi 1.9 tdi 136bhp should be able to pull a 10x5 cattle trailer handy enough but fully loaded would i be putting it under too much pressure? sorry for trying to steal the thread NewBeefFarmer!

sounds like u could have the car. but a 10x5 could be a bit big, thats the size of the cattle trailer i have for the tractor.

anyway, sher we will see what the advisors say;)

keep going

from what i hear hard to beat a octavia

reilig

jack77 wrote: »

In a simlar situation have the car but wondering what size trailer would i be able to comfortably pull, driving a 04 audi 1.9 tdi 136bhp should be able to pull a 10x5 cattle trailer handy enough but fully loaded would i be putting it under too much pressure? sorry for trying to steal the thread NewBeefFarmer!

Your audi won't have a problem pulling the 10x5. We pulled one behind an sdi caddy van for 10 years without problem. So long as your trailer brakes are in order, the trailer will be easy to pull.

epfff

reilig wrote: »

jack77 wrote: »

In a simlar situation have the car but wondering what size trailer would i be able to comfortably pull, driving a 04 audi 1.9 tdi 136bhp should be able to pull a 10x5 cattle trailer handy enough but fully loaded would i be putting it under too much pressure? sorry for trying to steal the thread NewBeefFarmer!

Your audi won't have a problem pulling the 10x5. We pulled one behind an sdi caddy van for 10 years without problem. So long as your trailer brakes are in order, the trailer will be easy to pull.

Used to pull a 10x6ivor williams behind a passat no probs but brakes must be in order.only fault I had if you pulled in to meet a car on a wet day the verge cpuld be hard to get out of.the front wheel would wouldnt be able to find grip

roosky

just bought a brand new sheep trailer (first link)

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/trailers/2696178

and a handy car to pull it (second link)

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/trucks/2658682

will it b fit ta???

polod

roosky wrote: »

just bought a brand new sheep trailer (first link)

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/trailers/2696178

and a handy car to pull it (second link)

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/trucks/2658682

will it b fit ta???

not a hope :rolleyes:

polod

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

ok, im just thinking. we need a second vehicle around the house.

we have a car at the moment, but will need a second motor.

i would love a jeep, which would be used for marts ect. . . farming. . on the land etc. . but a jeep is dear. . . plus fuel consumption etc. .

so i was thinking, (long winter nights sitting in):rolleyes:

X amount of bullocks 400kg in Y size trailor, pulled by Z type car BHP/Ltr

what is Z.. . ? what BHP and Ltr. .. obviously diesel.
what would Y be then?
and how many X could i carry?

the mart is only 15 mins drive from here. thats all the transportation i would be doing. . .

now be honest lads, i dont want to Max this to the hilt. . i want to do it comfortably without overkill. .. i mean. id do 2-3 runs to the mart if i had to. . .

just a thought. . . i could use the car then for work too. . .

oh, just to add. . .max id spend is 4k-5k on this car. but cheaper the better. .

a 01, 02 bmw 320d with the rear wheel drive would be your best bet

Bizzum

roosky wrote: »

just bought a brand new sheep trailer (first link)

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/trailers/2696178

and a handy car to pull it (second link)

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/trucks/2658682

will it b fit ta???

No. Not without a drawbar.:D

bbam

To be honest it sounds like your set up may be fine for the moment... 30 minutes isn't bad if you can bring all the cattle you want to sell at one time?, maybe a bigger trailer for behind the tractor....

Do you have a licence to tow a trailer behind the car?? You won't safely bring many decent weanlings behind a car..

You're spending more money to get to the mart a bit quicker... saving what ?
So you get there in 15 minutes instead of 30.. How many trips a year do you do?

ROI has to be prominent... if it's not going to make you more money why break from what you have.. unless it's the last upgrade you need to do??

I don't mean to be blunt... money spent needs to earn a return..

CJhaughey

OP
You need to figure out X(max) +Y(max) this figure will give you a gross weight.
From the Gross weight you can then draw up a shortlist of cars that can legally tow the weight you require.(Z)
It won't be power that you need its more likely the total train weight that will be the limiting factor.
It may be that you have to have a Van or 4x4 to do this job legally.
Just be aware that the Gardai are taking a lot of interest in towing now especially after the fatality in Cork a few months ago where a small van was towing a large trailer.

You may also need a different E+B license


The licence required will depend on what type of towing vehicle you are driving, i.e., whether you are using a car, a truck or a bus.

Towing an O1 or an O2 trailer with a car, 4x4 or a small van

With an ordinary category B licence, a person can

• tow a trailer of up to 0.75 tonnes DGVW, with a vehicle with a DGVW of up to 3.5 tonnes and seating for up to eight passengers (apart from the driver). The combination weight cannot exceed 4.25 tonnes.
• tow a trailer exceeding 0.75 tonnes DGVW, provided that the DGVW of the trailer does not exceed the un-laden weight of the towing vehicle, and the maximum combination weight does not exceed a total of 3.5 tonnes.

With an EB licence, a person can

• tow a trailer exceeding 0.75 tonnes DGVW, with a vehicle with a DGVW of up to 3.5 tonnes and seating for up to eight passengers (apart from the driver) provided that the manufacturer’s rated towing capacity for the towing vehicle is not exceeded.

johngalway

polod wrote: »

a 01, 02 bmw 320d with the rear wheel drive would be your best bet

I wouldn't touch a rear wheel drive with a very long pole, I'll tell ya why.

Last time it snowed, two types of cars got caught out badly. Automatics, and rear wheel drives.

I'm not saying it's going to snow again this year or any time soon, but if it does, then even for normal getting from A to B the driver could be well screwed.

Had to rescue drivers of both (very new) types last time, while being perfectly able to get about in my 12 year old car :pac:

I would be looking for a 4 wheel drive.

JohnBoy

some of my pet areas here, I'm part time car nerd.

To start at the end, johngalway, you're so right, but so wrong. last year my wife's 320d was a better job than most other yokes on the road.

Why? because we put a proper set of tyres on it.

We have it on a set of good all season tyres, vredestein quatrac 3s, they're an asymmetric tyre, one side is a summer tyre, one side is a winter tyre. They're a revelation to be honest. I'd love to see what a full winter tyre could do, but didnt want the hassle of swapping them on and off. they were only around a tenner more expensive than a quality summer tyre and have worn quite well.

Bloody kingstars, linglongs, nangkangs, triangles and wan-li's have this country ruined. cheap sh*tty rubber that should never be let near the road.



Now, as to what car to buy? the right answer is a jeep, or keep the tractor.

Most small vans, and mid size hatches on which their based are rated to pull around 12-1500kilos.

Ifor Williams' smallest box the 10x6 TA510 weighs 970kg. you'll get smaller boxes elsewhere I'm sure, but IW have a good website for pulling specs from. however you'll do well to get a twin axle box below 800kg I'd imagine. so that means 1 or mayyyyybe 2 beasts depending on what you're pulling it with.

I dont know how many cattle will fit in a 10x6, but something that can tow 1800kg will only leave 600kg for the trailer itself. top of the line saloon cars will pull 1800kg, some A4s, some mondeos, 320d or most 5 series bmws.

That's it for cars.

Smaller jeeps will do between 1600 and 2200kg depending on what you're looking at. the vitara is rated at 1850, the Xtrail 2200.

Bigget jeeps can pull up to 3.5 tonnes.


Cattle are heavy and unstable loads. your tow vehicle should be boss of the job. I think it's madness some of the yokes you see farmers pulling with. wouldnt be able to do an emergency stop in a fit. And that's what matters, not what it will pull, VW have footage of a toureg pulling a 747, but what it will stop and control.


So buy a jeep and suck up the running costs or stick with the tractor. or maybe put the money along with your tractor and get a better tractor even. but dont be the classic Irish farmer with two cows behind the jetta.

ltec

Bought an x-trail last nov, best buy i ever had. Does 39mpg average when not towing. I had a 320d and sold it because i was afraid of the wife in the snow with a child, to unpredictable when slippy. I remember last year a bmw stuck in the snow on a hill and i had too stop behind it in the middle of the hill and i said we will see how good the jeep is now in the snow so i hit 4 wheel drive and drove her onto the footpath around the car and she never even spun even a wee bit. Where we load the cattle is on hill and a car would never pull it out but when we hit 4 wheel drive in the jeep its no problem. Its also nice to drive and loads of room for children, ive another car but the wife would rather drive the jeep. The older one thats the tddi is the best before renault had an influence on the later ones.

johngalway

JohnBoy wrote: »

Why? because we put a proper set of tyres on it.

Yes, but how many people do? SFA :pac: They'll get those "snow socks" or something cheaper again if they can. Then those won't work because they get destroyed on tarmac